The present disclosure relates to patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, for example, which include active support surfaces. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to patient support apparatuses that provide an air fluidized support surface at the interface between the apparatus and the patient, and that detect conditions of the support surface to control operating characteristics of the patient support apparatus based on the detected conditions.
Patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, for example, include active support surfaces for interface with a patient's body. The beds may include an air fluidizable section, in which air is distributed through a bulk of fluidization material to form a two-phase fluidized support surface, providing near weightless support to the patient's body.
When a patient is recovering from trauma to the skin, for example trauma from receiving skin grafts, reducing shear and frictional forces at the interface of the patient's body with the support surface improves the conditions for healing the skin. Fluidized support surfaces provide minimal shear and frictional force to the skin of the patient occupying the support surface. The temperature and humidity of the air within the fluidizable section can be controlled to provide therapeutic relief and comfort according to the patient's condition.